The
OMF Patient Forumis an interactive social
network with over950 active
members.The Forum allows patients,
friends, loved ones and doctors to interact with each other, share
valuable treatment information, and learn more about
OM.

Welcome
to the first Ocular Melanoma Foundation (OMF) e-newsletter!
The OMF has been busy planning exciting events and supporting our
patient and physician-researcher communities. We are also thrilled
to introduce and welcome Becky Selig as our part-time Interim
Executive Director. Becky comes to us with a good deal of
non-profit experience and has already added a great deal of value
to the OMF in the few months she has been with us.

Thanks to your support, we are growing fast! We host an online Patient Forum providing support
for more than 950 patients and caregivers and our website receives
4,000 visitors a month. Under our umbrella we also support the Ocular Melanoma Research Consortium (OMRC)
which is currently comprised of approximately 100 physicians and
researchers who come from all over the U.S. and Europe and
represent several medical specialties. The OMF strives to be the
main source of information and resources for the ocular melanoma
community and we are continuing to work toward this goal on a daily
basis.

Thank you for being a part of our growth and for helping us get to
where we are today. We could not be doing any of this without your
dedicated support!

Made possible by the generous sponsorship of the DFCI, the
conference will provide attendees the opportunity to learn about
the latest research and treatments for ocular melanoma, while
clinicians and researchers from institutions across the U.S. share
their latest data and insights.

Clinicians and researchers from a range of medical specialties and
from several research institutions throughout the U.S. will share
the latest information with participants. Other conference highlights include,
a panel addressing integrative therapies such as nutrition and
acupuncture, a "how to" session on navigating clinical trials, and
several opportunities for patients and caregivers to meet and share
experiences in small group sessions.

Reserve your spot today -
hotels will fill up quickly. You can cancel the reservation by 6pm
on the day of arrival. We look forward to meeting everyone in
person!

As
the OMF continues to grow, funding is more important than ever. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, we rely on
supporters like you to help us provide research and advocacy
support. Many OMF Warriors choose to hold local events near
their homes and donate the proceeds to the OMF. We're immensely
grateful to these people for their hard work and
dedication.

Kevin
Byrne, an OMF Warrior, has organized an annual bike ride in San
Francisco, the
LAB Ride, in honor of his mother, who lost her battle with
ocular melanoma. The OMF is excited to be partnering with Kevin as
the recipient of the proceeds of this annual event. Thanks to all
who have participated!

In
April, OMF Warrior Jim Ryan ran the
world-renowned Boston Marathon in memory of his dear friend, Barb
Strong, who lost her battle with ocular melanoma in March. Jim
decided to turn his 26.2 mile run into a fundraiser and generously
donated 100% of the proceeds to the OMF. In 2009, Jim completed
the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC, also raising funds for
the OMF. We look forward to following him in his next
marathon!

Thank you to all who have generously donated
your time and money - from the runners in the Ukrop's 10K in
Richmond to Tanya and Carissa who are now prepping for their 2nd race -
we could not be doing what we're doing without your support and
enthusiasm.

The aim of these meetings is to bring together key experts to
address the urgent need to accelerate the development of effective
treatments for patients with ocular melanoma. The group's goals
are to identify research priorities and increase collaboration in
order to improve patient outcomes.